Van insurance and your MoT – you can’t take to the road without either and the condition of one may well have an affect on the cost of the other. No one likes going through either, as you feel you’re often at the mercy of people who are only in business to extract as much cash from you as is legally possible for the transaction you are about to enter into. In some instances, as has been well documented, MoT dealers have been accused of adding items to your bill that haven’t even been inspected, let alone replaced.

Over recent years, the rise and rise of the comparison website has kept your once cheap van insurance policy slightly in check, wherever possible, but the same cannot be said for your MoT. If you don’t know someone in the game – not every street has a Kevin Webster – you are bound by their word that what they say needs correcting to pass the test does; and being British, we don’t like to call them a liar or, much less, take the car away and go get a second opinion. Although that would be our rite, if we so chose to do so.

Many people who own a van do so because they have to. Their business and livelihood depend upon it and sometimes you can get the impression that mechanics know it. But one thing you must not let happen is emotion to override common sense – they are professionals at what they do just like you are in your trade of choice; if they say it needs fixing you have to psychologically go with the train of thought that they’ve got your best interest at heart and that they’re fixing your van in line with legislation in order to save you suffering calamitous effects at some stage in the near future whilst you’re on the road. Effects that could have a more serious impact than just adding a few quid onto your next van insurance premium or losing you your no claims bonus.

In another of today’s articles, we’ll take a quick overview of what you, the van driver, can do to prevent being ‘charged the market rate’ (a polite way of saying ripped off, to which one of my previous MD’s will attest) when it’s time for your MoT, at least giving you the opportunity to put those things right that you can in advance, rather than leave everything up to the mechanic on the day of the test and contributing to their hourly rate, when there are things that even the unskilled driver can address.

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It is a common-held belief that fleet and commercial van insurance is either over-priced or that fleet managers believe there are cheaper van insurance premiums out there that avail themselves to the competition but not them.

There is some merit in that sentiment, especially if you hire fleet management specialists and literally hand all of that type of negotiation to them. There’s an element of trust involved but, by the nature of them dealing with large fleets and all which that entails for their bread and butter, you can expect them to be able to secure the cheapest van insurance for your niche and size of fleet.

However, one of the most basic aspects that inexperienced fleet managers overlook is the devil in the detail. Getting the right cover for your business has as much to do with securing a cheap van insurance quote as any other factor. You may be on the button that your competitor, who is in the same trade, is getting cheaper cover, but have they cut the fat their van insurance, namely the aspects of cover that have little relevance to their operation, whereas you insure everything with a ‘just in case’ mentality, thinking you’re better off for it?

Another aspect could be: how much time do you spend researching your van insurance quotes? Is five minutes once every twelve months enough for you? One call to the existing van insurance broker and then one to one of the big brands and you consider the job done?

It is quite conceivable that your competitor has spent hours researching online, taking the time to compare cheap van insurance between providers on the multiple platforms available. Like everything in the life, reward is only as great as the endeavour to achieve. (This is going into Copyscape, so no one think of copying that line, right!)

And the last aspect, which is obvious when you say it out loud, but what do you do to monitor it: what do your drivers contribute to your rising fleet insurance or what can they do to reduce your fleet van insurance? Constant, incident-free driving is the only way to get your van insurance to a level where you have a history worth taking out additional protected no claims bonus.

Address all of those issues and you may not have the cheapest van insurance in your market sector, but there’ll be few with considerably less.

To start your journey to reduce your fleet van insurance quote, choose from over 60 top insurance firms here, using our online form.

One of the things you must not do when applying for a van insurance renewal quote is misrepresent your circumstances, whether intentionally or through ignorance. Be sure of all the facts before you log on and do not make things up on your van insurance comparison site, for two main reasons.

No one truly understands the mind of the van insurance broker – it’s a scary place. You may think you are pulling a fast one by not submitting or falsifying information, but you may actually be increasing your van insurance quote. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, if you need to make a claim but the details of your cover do not match the circumstances of your incident, you may be disqualified for compensation, leaving you extremely out of pocket.

Be careful of what is actually included in your van insurance quote before you press the submit button. Ancillary products such as tool cover, a Green Card or breakdown cover may have automatically been tagged on. You may not need some or all of the additional items, which could save you a packet by deleting them from your final policy.

Security is taken very seriously by van insurance providers, as well as vehicle tracking. If you have invested in immobilisers, steering column locks or vehicle tracking soft- and hardware, be sure to let your broker or direct insurance company know. You can do little about the postcode where you either live or your business is based. If you are aware that your location is a criminal hotspot but have a secure lock-up where you keep your van or tools, again, this could entitle you to further discount off the base van insurance premium.

Best-selling models can save you money, too. In order to reduce off-road time and ensure availability of replacement components at a reasonable rate and turnaround, insurance brokers will look more favourably on a Transit, for example, than a rare Russian import you bought because it was cheap.

And finally, when you compare van insurance quotes, if you have the finance available use the slider to work out how much your premium will be if you are prepared to pay a bigger excess, i.e. the amount you are willing to fund any repairs from your own pocket before you expect your broker to dip into theirs. Even increasing this a little can save a packet in the long term.

We carry on looking at frost-proofing your van this winter by looking at tyre, brake and oil requirements. Missed our other two articles on cheapvaninsurance.co.uk? Click through to view headlights and battery, antifreeze & windscreen advice for your van and it cover this winter.

5. Get a grip – winter tyres are, as of yet, not a legal requirement in the UK, however some brokers may offer you additional discounts if you can prove you have invested in a set and you use them in inclement conditions. Whether you have bespoke winter tyres or your usual set, you should still check their depth. For standard tyres, you’re not permitted to travel (or at least won’t be covered in the event of any van insurance claim) without meeting the minimum 1.6mm depth requirement between tyre wall and top of tread. Read more about winter tyres and the effect on van insurance in our articles: were snow tyred of waiting for uk legislation and AA van insurance and winter tyre cover. Having the right tyre pressure is also critical in winter. In order to ensure the correct balance for your van, enhanced fuel efficiency and to relieve unnecessary stress on your already overworked battery ensure that they are inflated to optimum effect (details will be in your owner’s manual).
6. Take a brake-check before the weather turns too inclement. Whether you think your brakes may be stiff or spongy, it’s not worth taking the risk hitting the road with dodgy brakes when there’s ice and snow on the road. Slippery patches are often invisible, unpredictable and once you catch a rink of black ice, you may as well hand the control of the van until you come out of the skid – but be ready to brake accordingly as soon as you feel the van grip terra firma, accordingly. One incidence of your brakes not working correctly and it’s not just keeping your next van insurance premium at a reasonable rate that you may be worrying about. Van, especially those closer to the 3.5 ton upper limit of the classification, can react instantly when braking in the snow. Don’t risk your livelihood.
7. Turn up the heat by running your air conditioning, to stop erosion of any of its components. The traditional heater is no longer just a case of opening a vent to let the warmth from the engine fill the cab, but rather controlled via the electronic circuitry of your air conditioning unit. Yes, make sure you run it, but only do so when you know your battery is at its optimum for peak performance.

We carry on the series looking at how you can protect you, your van and its insurance premiums with more advice, just before the weather turns, as forecast, this weekend. Miss article one? It’s here[…]

2. Windscreens are particularly vulnerable in winter, both whilst driving from weather debris and from contraction and expansion as they are exposed to extreme temperatures at both ends of the thermometer. Whether it has snowed or not, frost will build up inside and out in extreme minus conditions, forming barriers to your visibility both in- an outside the cab. De-icer and a smooth-edged scraper are essentials in these conditions, but the effect can be lessened by draping a towel or newspaper over the windscreen when parked up for the night. De-icer in the bottle of your screen-wash to remove residue that you may have missed is also a must. What you must not do to remove any built-up ice is pour boiling water over your windscreen. The sudden change in temperature actually shocks the glass and it shatters and it is unusual that a van insurance policy will pay out for a replacement in the face of ignorance of this fact.

3. Antifreeze – does what it says on the bottle Minus temperatures do not have favourites – anything that it can freeze, it will. As well as including fluid in your water bottle to protect your windscreen, your engine is very susceptible, too. Radiators rely on water circulating to keep the engine cool; as soon as the mercury dips below zero, your grill is going to be useless when the kit behind it is as solid as a house brick. All radiators are not made equal – somewhere within your manual you will have guidelines outlining where and to what level the antifreeze goes – your model may even have a recommended brand that works best with your van engine. This is one aspect many drivers genuinely forget – if you are one of those, make sure you have breakdown cover tagged on as an ancillary to your van insurance policy.

4. Charges that actually do you good Whilst we’re tinkering under the hood, examine your battery! What’s the first thing you do in the morning in winter before you set out to work, whilst you’re finishing your cuppa and before you plant a sloppy one on your other half’s cheek (just before they get back under the duvet)? Yep – nip out to the car and let the heater de-mist the inside of the windscreen as you prepare to tackle the exterior windows. Batteries don’t like the cold as it is and you’re just extracting more juice out of them as the engine idles, putting nothing back through the alternator. If you’re making any journey that will take you away from accessible help, check your van’s battery. If the battery’s due for replacing, do it before the winter weather sets in; if it’s just sluggish and conditions allow, give the van a run out to put some juice back into the battery.

Recharge your next van insurance quote from over 60 firms using our cheapvaninsurance.co.uk online form.